A Jagged Sort of Story
by Almost an Actress
Summary: "Insanity is a gift. I don't care what they say."
1. The Meeting

Insanity is a gift. I don't care what they say. I mean, it hurt to be thought of as 'crazy.' It hurt so badly. For a while, at least. When I was just a young filly, the others made fun of me, even though I was a Princess! Oh. I guess you don't know who I am. You don't, do you? Well, don't look so scared! It's not like I'm going to kill you. I mean, I don't have a reason to. What's your name, little filly? Oh, don't be scared. I'm not _that_ evil.

Shining Star. Oh, that's a beautiful name, little one. It's so hard to see in here. Please, tell me what you look like. White fur. Blonde mane. What does your mane look like, Shining Star? It looks like Apple Bloom's mane. Who is that? A famous mare around Ponyville. Oh. You have a horn? That makes you pretty special, I'd think. No cutie mark? Well, it just means that you're open to find all of your talents! Freckles? You sound cute. Come closer, darling. Your eyes, it's hard to see, but they look like a deep midnight blue. Is that right?

Yes, they're so beautiful.

What do _I_ look like? Well, my fur is a mix of dark green and midnight blue. Yes, Shining Star, like your eyes. Oh, the excitement you feel because my fur is like your eyes. I miss feeling that excited. My mane? My mane is sea-foam green, but a bit darker. I have a pink stripe in the middle. Yes, like a headband. You have one on right now? It looks pretty, darling. My tail is tipped with pink. My horn is very sharp. No, darling, you can't touch it. It would hurt you very badly. I also have wings. They're very soft. Yes, you can touch them.

Yes, I _am_ an Alicorn.

Er… my eyes? That's a hard question, Shining Star. Promise you won't make fun? You do promise? Good. Well, look for yourself. Oh, go ahead. Be scared. I know, my pupils are so small. I look evil, don't I? Yes, my eyes are that of a dragon's. That's why the fillies and colts in my school made fun. Yes, that was a long time ago, I know. It still hurts to be made fun of, you know.

My cutie mark?

Er… it's two swords. They're crossed over each other. Like a family crest. My name? I don't think you want to hear it. You'd know who I am. You'd run away. Yes, I do care. Fine, you want to hear it? You won't run away? And you promise that? You promise? Good. Well, I am Princess Jagged Blade.

NO! Please, Shining Star! Don't run away! Please…

_A little later, in Frosted Song's POV_

"You know, most ponies consider it a filly-ish name," I said into my tape recorder. "Frosted Song. That's my name. They think a special talent in singing is lame. Yeah, I've been called names. Names that don't bear repeating." I paused, looking down the hallway to my twin sister's room. They were fillies. Young things, only seven years old. They didn't need to hear those words. "I'm not going to say those words now, in case Shining Star or one of the twins hears." Shining Star is my other sister, barley nine. "But I know my voice is beautiful," I said. "And that is the end of chapter one." I shut off the tape recorder with my magic.

Suddenly, my little sister, the one I told you about, came running up the path to our house. If it had been a year ago, my Mom or Dad would've comforted her, but now it was just us. Her little legs were working overtime to keep that short little body going. I dropped the recorder and hurried out to her. "Hey, Shiny!" I called, enveloping her in my forelegs. I wrapped them around her. "Hey, hey, hey." I rubbed her mane, murmuring to her. "Darlin', what's wrong? Did somepony hurt you?" I held her out at leg's length and appraised her. She appeared fine, if not a little dirty. "What is it?"

She whimpered, diving back in my hug. "I saw her," she whispered. "Frosty… I saw her."

"Saw who, honey?" I asked, running a hoof though my black mane. Shining Star freaked me out sometimes…

"I was just playing… and I fell in a hole," she hissed. "I stumbled into the Royal Jail. There was only one pony in the cell. She started talking to me. I couldn't figure out who she was, or why she was in jail."

"Did she say something nasty?" I asked gently.

"No, she was nicer than anypony I'd ever met, except you. Her name. Her name was scary. My blood feels icy."

"Who was she?"

"Princess Jagged Blade."

I gasped. I remembered tales of an evil Princess from when I was a colt. She was corrupt. She was EVIL. She was… terrifying. She was everything you were ever afraid of… And more.

"Did she try to hurt you?" I snarled.

"No. She started crying when I left," Shining Star said. She stopped crying, and looked thoughtful. "I felt bad, but I was scared."

"That's understandable," I said. "I don't want you going back there ever again, darling. I'm proud that you ran away. Next time-" I paused. "Actually, I don't want there to be a next time. But, if anything like this ever happens again, don't talk with somepony who's in prison. They've done a very bad thing to get there."

"Sorry, Frosty." Shining Star trotted back inside the house.

I slumped on the path. "I've got to go check this out," I muttered. Part of me was telling me to go back inside and play a board game with Shining Star and the twins, but another part was shouting, "GO CHECK IT OUT!" I listened to that part.

I didn't know exactly where Shiny had been, so I just trotted up the path. After about ten minutes, I suddenly, I saw a filly-sized hole in the ground. "Hello?" I called down it. "Hello? Anypony here?"

There was a silence. Then, a meek voice whispered, "Shining Star?"

I stiffened. Oh, Celestia. This was the corrupt princess who was evil to the core. I steeled myself, and said in a deep voice, "No. This is her brother. Are you Princess Jagged Blade?"

"Yes," a ragged little voice whispered. "Have you come to fill up the hole so that I won't see the light of day again? Have you come to hurt me? Tell my sisters that I've been bad? Chew me out?"

"Um… I don't know." Wow, I thought. I'm talking to the most evil figure in history, and I just said 'Um… I don't know.'

"Before you tell me off," Princess Jagged Blade whispered, "I'll tell _you_ something. Let me tell you my story. Maybe you'll listen."


	2. We're Alike?

The stallion stands at the top of the hole, looking into my dimly lit prison. From here, my weakened eyes can see that he has a white pelt and a black mane. His tail is bobbed, like mine. He is a unicorn. He huffily announces that he will hear out my story but won't come down into the prison.

I shrug. _Do as you please, stallion._ I settle down and wrap my wings around myself in an effort to stay warm. _It is often cold down here, stallion. I do not wish to know your name. But you wish to know my story, is that correct? _

The stallion leans his head down into the hole, and I see that he has the same midnight-blue eyes as his sister. He growls something about corrupt princesses and uses his magic in an attempt to light up the hole. _Stop! Don't! _It is too late. He's already crying out in pain and rubbing the tip of his burned horn, and then crying out in pain again. _My lovely sisters cast a spell to prevent me from seeing the light, as it were._

He mutters something about pain and sharp horns. I prick my torn ears up. _Sharp horns, you say, unicorn? A tip like a knife, perhaps? Nopony is ever allowed to touch it? Because it hurts them. Yes, they bleed as if they were pricked by a dagger. How do I know this? Come down and look for yourself, stallion. _

He gives a relenting sigh and says that his name is Frosted Song. He jumps into the hole, landing on his side and complaining.

_ I've experienced more pain, Frosted Song. _

_Frosted Song's POV_

I rolled over, wincing in pain. My side felt like it was on fire. I struggled to my hooves and took a step towards Princess Jagged Blade. Towards the most corrupt, evil figure in history. She was worse than Queen Chrysalis, Discord, and Nightmare Moon combined. But… why did she seem so sad and lonely? And what did she know about my horn? My too-sharp-to-touch horn. I'd been stupid when I'd grabbed it after burning it. I was injured all over! Burned horn, bruised and bloody hoof, and sprained side!

I settled down about ten feet from her cell. It was circular, build into the dirt wall. It was about twelve feet tall and twenty feet long and ten feet wide. At least she'd been given some room when she was locked up…. But she took up easily eight of those twelve feet. "Well?" I prompted. "Enlighten me."

She walked horn-first to the bars and poked her horn out of them. It was just as sharp – if not sharper – than mine. I grimaced.


End file.
